


All I can Be (You are Meant for More)

by DonatellaLoba



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff and Angst, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-04
Updated: 2019-06-03
Packaged: 2020-01-04 14:42:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18345764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DonatellaLoba/pseuds/DonatellaLoba
Summary: This fic only happened because of Jugpeagal’s tumblr prompt:“Jughead and Sweet Pea met and dated a few months before the events of “Riverdale”. They were each other’s first serious relationship. Eventually Jug broke up with Sweet Pea (because he got a crush on Betty and didn’t want to lie to him or some other reason), Sweet Pea was heartbroken and tried to get him back several times, that’s why he’d gotten so angry when Jughead rejected his offer to come to the quarry”





	1. Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoy, I wrote this on my phone, so I apologize for the small amount of editing I could do.

They’re 10 when they meet. Jug was out for a walk trying to avoid his dad and sweets was bored. Jughead sits on the rusty old slide and pulls out his notebook. Sweet Pea is already there, sitting at the base of tree not too far from the playground.

 

They saw each other at the same spot every week, one of them finally bucks up the courage to talk to the other.

 

“What do you draw?” He asks, Sweets shrugs.

“Doodles” Jug nods and holds his notebook out.

 

“Wanna read this and tell me if it’s any good?”

 

That’s how it starts. Each week they meet at the same spot and as the last leaves fall Sweets nervously tells Jug he can come over to his home instead.

 

Jughead agrees, grateful that their time isn’t being taken away and he won’t be stuck home instead. He gets to Sweets’ place and looks around. He realizes he’s alone and Pea doesn’t want to talk about it. By Spring Jug and Pea are inseparable and one day Jug notices a jacket with a familiar patch on the back.

 

They have their first argument.

 

“It was my moms!”and jug shuts up. That’s how he finds out why SP is alone, how he survives and what his future holds. As they talk, Sweet pea pulls out his book and offers it to Jughead. He’s speechless.

 

“I don’t want to forget what they looked like” Sweet Pea tells him.

 

“I’m sorry” Jug says, Sweets shrugs and takes the book back.

 

“Wanna play a game?” And that’s that.

 

A year and a half later Jug is going to school on the North side, Pea cries.

 

“I’ll be here everyday after school, I promise” Jug tells him and hugs him. Pea cries into his shoulder until he leaves. School days are harder but Sweets adjusts, he doesn’t try to talk unless spoken to and bolts out the door when the bell rings.

 

Fast forward two years and Pea realizes he views Jug differently than just a friend when he meets Fangs.

 

“Who is that again?” Jug says, slightly annoyed.

 

“Fangs, he’s new I told you about him. He invited me over after school” Sweets says, not sure why it was a big deal.

 

“I thought we were hanging out together” Sweets notices the annoyance this time. He turns to face him, Jughead his fiddling with something on the counter looking away from him. He can see he’s tense, and that doesn’t sit well with him.

 

“What’s wrong?” He asks him, brow furrowed. Jug turns around, facial expression angry.

 

“We hardly see each other as it is-“

 

“Because you went to school on the Northside! Do you think it’s easy for me to not have my best friend with me anymore?” Sweets yells at him, getting defensive of the fact that he made one friend. Jug never stopped talking about Archie and Betty.

 

Neither of them noticed how close they were getting to each other as they argued. Pea’s stomach flipped, definitely different.

 

“I had to go to school on the north side you know that”

 

“And left me behind” they are inches away from each other now, Sweets had 3 inches on Jughead so he looked up at him.

 

“No I didn’t, just forget it ok?” Jughead says, tugging at his hat and going to turn away from Sweets but is stopped by the other boy’s hand.

 

“No, Why are you upset?” He asks him, pulling him closer. Each boy could hear their heart beating a mile a minute in their ears. Jug’s face felt hot and looking into Sweets’ eyes had his face heating up.

 

“It’s stupid”

 

“Tell me” they stare at each other for what felt like forever, their breathing getting heavier and neither knows who leaned in first but they met in the middle, lips slightly chapped but warm. They kissed.

 

They pressed into each other and didn’t know what to do, but Pea held the back of Jug’s head and parted his lips slightly, Jughead followed. It was awkward, but jughead’s heart was racing, palms sweaty and the butterflies appeared out of nowhere and were going crazy in his stomach. Sweet pea sighed and melted into Jughead, everything about this moment had him feeling more at home than he has in years.

 

When they pulled away from each other Jughead’s hand came up to his face and caressed his cheeked, “wow”

 

“Yeah” after that they didn’t kiss again until the night Jughead slept over, a bruise on his eye from a fight with his dad. Sweets held him tight, and whispered, “will you be my boyfriend?” To a teary eyed Jug who stares back at him, a confused look on his face.

 

“I thought I already was?” Sweets grins at him and holds him a little tighter that night. He doesn’t let Jug go home without him anymore.

 

A few months later Sweets completes his initiation into the serpents and Jughead is pissed. He patches Sweets up after he gets home but doesn’t stay.

 

He doesn’t see or hear from Jughead for a week. Sweets gets worried but doesn’t go look for him, he knows he needs space.

 

When Jughead shows up on Sweets’ door step he doesn’t say anything, makes his way inside and to the room; Pea follows.

 

The minute Pea steps into the room Jughead launches himself at Pea, who catches him with a grunt. They’re groping at each other and Jughead licks at Pea’s lips to let him in, the minute his tongue meets his pea groans at the new feeling. Jugheads hands are hot where they meet his skin and sweets tries to pull him as close to his body as possible. He takes a few steps and falls onto the bed with Jug under him, he kneels between his legs. He tries to pull back to talk to Jug, say something but he tugs off their shirts and latches back onto pea who is not complaining.

 

But he doesn’t want to push this further without talking. It takes all his strength but he pulls back, Jug whines and starts to kiss around the new tattoo on his neck, sucking love bites onto his skin.

 

“Hey, hey, are you sure?” Jughead nods and keeps roaming, but it isn’t enough for sweet pea. He pulls back until he’s sitting on his heels.

 

“Jughead” the other boy looks at him with a frown and sits up, arms already wrapping around his body to cover himself.

 

“I haven’t heard from you in a week, and then you get here and say nothing? I’m not complaining, I’ve missed you so fucking much but I need you to talk to me” Pea tells him, running a hand through his hair and looking directly into his boyfriend’s eyes.

 

“I love you Sweets” he whispers to him.

 

“I was pissed when you went through with becoming a serpent and i wanted to hate you and just leave but- I just- I can’t. As much as I want to I can’t, I love you— So much” he tells him and scoots closer to him. Pea is frozen in shock, looking at the beautiful boy in front of him saying words he never thought he would ever hear but he scrambles to hold him. His heart about to burst at the moment itself.

 

“I love you too” he tells him, kissing him all over his face, causing Jug to push him away playfully.

 

“But we don’t have to do anything just because of that, you know that right Jug?” He whispers to him. His boyfriend nods but faces him.

 

“I want this, I want it with you” he tells him, looking him directly in the eyes and hands on Sweets’ cheeks holding his face in place.

 

“Okay” They both do their best to make the night special and wonderful. It ends sooner than either boy wanted it to but they’re both elated with the night.

 

“I’m sorry I disappointed you” Sweets says quietly into the dark of the room. Jughead kisses his neck and tells him to shut up.

 

******

A month before sophomore year and Jug is distant. He doesn’t show up when he says he will and Pea worries. His stomach is in knots from the feeling of dread. Something bad is going to happen.

 

He flips his phone open and calls.

 

No answer.

 

He does the only thing he can think to do, he goes and waits for Jug outside his home.

 

Eventually he arrives. They stare at each other for a moment and then Sweets speaks up, dread weighing in his stomach like a rock, “there’s someone else, isn’t there?” The other boy pulls off his hat and fidgets with it.

 

“Pea, I-“

 

“Don’t bullshit me Jones, is there someone else?” Jug’s eyes look everywhere but at Pea and tears well up in Pea’s eyes.

 

Jughead nods and Pea’s heart shatters. He doesn’t let Jughead see his tears and storms off. He has bloody hands and a broken phone by the morning and tear stained cheeks he didn’t bother to clean off.

 

“Fuck this” he says to the empty house, he cleans up, showers and shoves any thoughts of Jughead out of his head. He does everything he can to remove him from his mind and goes on with his life.

 

When F.P sobers up and takes his leading roll seriously, Pea is his right hand. In charge of the younger serpents he earns respect and his place amongst the only family he has.

 

He works with the younger serpents and teens who show interest in becoming part of the serpents. He hardly thinks about Jughead.

 

On his weak days he goes to the Drive In and watches him from afar. He should’ve known Betty was the other person, he wasn’t stupid. When he saw them kiss was the last time he looked for him, Fangs forbid him from doing so.

 

“Stop doing this to yourself Sweetpea” he scolded him as he threw him in the tub, Sweets too drunk to register the pain. Fangs was the only person who knew about someone who broke Sweetpea’s heart and made him cold.

 

He listened. But he became all anger and fists.

 

A whole year past and Sweets was doing better. He talked to girls, but never did more. He kissed one and felt nothing, but he kept up the facade and flirted with a few but stepped away when they expected more.

 

When FP was arrested, he almost went to check on Jug when he turned and went to the Wyrm instead. As much as he wanted to it wasn’t his right to do so anymore.

 

He was sitting in English class when he heard a voice closer than he ever thought he’d hear it again.

 

“Thanks Toni” he says and sits at a desk two down from him. Sweet pea angles his body away from him and stares down at his phone not wanting to see what Jughead’s face does when he sees him. Once class starts sweet Pea gets comfortable on the table clicking away at his phone when he gets a text. It’s a newbie who got himself in some trouble for dumb shit.

 

“Fuck!” He yells and storms out of class, forgetting about Jughead.

 

“Holy shit” Jug says to himself as he watches Sweets storm out. His blood runs cold, he was the last person he wanted to run into here and he knew it was unavoidable. He didn’t expect to see him so soon. And he was nothing like the Pea he knew growing up.

 

The rest of the day he doesn’t run into sweet pea and he hopes to keep it that way. The next day at lunch he sees him at the table with Toni, he declines her invite to sit with them and runs off. Sweets watches him, jaw tight as he looks around the cafeteria knowing the Ghoulies are more than willing to put a target on jugs back.

 

Shit.

 

***

 

He finds him later when he goes to retrieve Toni for the young serpents meeting at the quarry. 

He extends the invitation to Jughead but he turns him down without looking at him. Sweets grinds his teeth, he’s going to get hurt. 

 

“Don’t come crawling to us when a Ghoulies decides to beat your ass to earn his stripes” he hears come out of his mouth. More than just pride wounded, Sweets takes a step closer to him fists clenched. Toni stops him.

 

“Cool it Sweets, he’s just not that into you, let’s go” Sweets bites the inside of his cheeks and turns on his heel.

 

Jughead’s blush goes unnoticed by everyone, thankfully, as they all leave the small office.

 

 

He realizes Sweets was right when he hears people following him, he tries to run but it’s too late.

 

 

 

“What is your issue with him?” Toni asks Pea as they sit at their lunch table.

 

“I don’t have an issue topaz, the idiot is gonna get hurt if he doesn’t start to-“ he stops talking when he realizes Toni isn’t paying attention to him, she’s looking behind him with wide eyes. What the hell? He’s about to turn around when Jughead walks up to the table, and Sweets is pissed.

 

He has a slight limp, a black eye and limited movement as he asks to sit with them. Sweets nods and Toni moves her bag from next to her. Jughead looks annoyed and in pain. Pea wants to murder whoever did this to him.

 

School let’s out and Sweets doesn’t stick around to talk, he heads home. There he changes, takes his jacket off and slips on his jean vest, grabs a breakfast bar and head out.

 

One person on his mind and with the state they left him in, he’s sure Jug will be home when he gets there, ready to sleep it off.

 

He’s right, when the door opens he’s greeted by a surprised and bedhead Jug.

 

“Pea?” They stare at each other for a moment before Jughead steps to the side to allow him in.

 

“What are you doing here?” He asks him as he searches for his hat and slips it on.

 

“I wanted to make sure you’re ok. Don’t ignore possibly broken bones” he tells him gruffly.

 

Jughead isn’t convinced but tells him he’s fine, nothing he couldn’t handle. Sweets starts to fidget with the rings on his hands and realizes it’s been too quiet since Jug stopped talking.

 

“I shouldn’t have come” Jug head sighs and shakes his head.

 

“I’m sorry I hurt you” he tells him and steps closer to sweet Pea who takes a step back. Jughead frowns but says nothing.

 

“It doesn’t matter”

 

“Bullshit, it fucking matters” Now it’s Pea’s turn to frown.

 

“It wouldn’t happened eventually Jug and you know it. You want more than this and all I will ever be is this” Sweets firmly tells him, spreading his arms wide to indicate the lifestyle of a serpent.

 

“Fuck you” Jug says and steps closer until Sweets is backed into the wall. Jug may be shorter but he doesn’t seem to care as he stares up at sweet pea.

 

“You’re meant for so much more Pea, I know you are and you want to stay stuck. You’re playing it safe” the anger bubbles up in Sweet Pea.

 

“You think this is safe? This is all I can be Jug! And that’ll never be enough for you-“

 

“Don’t say that-“

 

“Hell even your old man wants you to get the hell out of here, he’s so proud of his boy and the pretty girl he landed-“

 

“I don’t want to talk about her-“

 

“Why not? She’s all you need isn-“ Pea’s words are cut off by Jugs mouth on his. It isn’t gentle it’s hard and rough and it takes Sweet peas breath awAy but he kisses him back with just as much force and passion.

 

His hands immediately reach up to hold his head as close to him as possible. Jug’s lips part and his tongue licks at his mouth to part it open and taste him.

 

Sweets moans the minute their tongues touch. He can feel Jughead’s hands roam all over him, relearning his body. Their kiss is less rough as the minutes pass and Sweets is the one to pull away first.

 

“Shit” he hears Jughead say, and he’s slapped in the face with the reality that Jug isn’t his to kiss like this, they were fighting not two seconds before they kissed and the panic washes over Pea. He drops his hands from Jughead’s body as if he’s been burnt.

 

“I should go” Pea chokes out as he slips away from Jughead. He knows Jughead is saying something but he doesn’t listen as he tears open the door and runs out and doesn’t stop until he gets home.

 

What the fuck did he just do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might add more.


	2. Middle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sweets panics and fangs is an amazing friend.

 All Sweets can here is the blood rushing, heart pounding and gravel crunching as he sprints home. Flashes of what just happed pop up in his minds eye causing him to shake his head to try to rid his memory of it as he keeps pushing forward as fast as he can. The panic builds, all he can think about is the fear of how easily he can fall right back into the familiarity of it all with him. he stops when he about takes someone out.

"Shit"

"What the hell Pea?!" It's Fangs, but he doesn't get a chance to yell at him. Sweet Pea is having a huge panic attack, bawling he falls to the ground next to his friend.

"Holy shit, Pea" he says and pulls him up. They're a few feet away from his home that Fangs basically drags him into it and drops down next to him on the living room floor. Sweets cries, rubs his face and tries to force the attack to run its course faster. Once he feels like he can breathe, Pea leans back and wipes the tears off.

"Here" Fangs hands him a glass of water and some chips; Sweets takes them and takes a long drink of water.

"Thanks" they sit there, Sweets picking at the chips and taking sips of water until he is fully back from it.

"What happened?" Fangs asks him, Sweets looks down at his hands not knowing how to respond. No one really knew about his relationship with Jughead. Fangs knew they were friends but he kept him separate from it all, he didn't know how to tell him.

"Pea?"

"Jughead" he whispers, throat scratchy and rough from crying. He clears it and continues.

"He and I, we have a past and it didn't end well. I was doing better but then he showed back up without warning" Fangs nods.

"Need me to punch him?" Sweets lets out a weird chuckle.

"No, fuck, Fangs I fucked up. I went to check on him today and he kissed me. I didn't shove him off, I pulled him closer and he's not-"

"Hey, it takes two man. He kissed you" Fangs tells him, trying to calm his friend down. Sweets is still shaking, out of anger or anxiety neither could tell.

 

"I thought I was doing better, I felt like it was over it and made my peace with it. But it only took a moment to break me" he tells him and kicks at the couch shaking his head in disappointment.

"You love him?" Fangs knew the answer without Pea having to answer, but maybe Pea needed to hear himself say it. Sweets stiffly nods and fiddles with the rings on his fingers. He feels himself calming down and finally lets his whole body relax, but then there is a knock at the door. Before Pea can get up and open it Fangs is up and pulling it opened. He looks from the person to Pea and quickly steps out, closing the door behind him. Confused, Sweet Pea stands up and goes to the door, he hears Jughead and freezes.

 

"I don't care, you need to leave" Fangs says.

"Please, I just-"

"need to leave. Give him space, if he wants to talk to you he'll find you" There's a pause and something Sweets cant hear being said before he hears Jughead's footsteps retreat. When the door opens Fangs has a weird facial expression but doesn't say anything.

"What did he want?" Fangs raises an eyebrow at him asking 'Seriously?' causing sweets to just stare at him in response. But Fangs sighs and holds his hand out, a folded piece of paper in his hand offering it to Sweets.

 

"I am only giving you this because I know you'll be pissed later if you find out I tossed it" Sweets rolls his eyes and takes the note. His eyes rove over the few sentences on the page before looking up at his friend and passing the note over.

 

"What do you want to do Pea?" He shuts his eyes for a moment thinking about what he wants versus what he should do. he crumbles up the note and tosses it. Fangs is shocked but he knows its hard for Sweets to trust and this isn't any different. They stay in and watch a movie.

 

***

 

He’s going to have to face Jughead at school eventually but Sweets avoids him as best he can, even in classes they have together. Even when he is in those classes, someone always needs him so he leaves early and doesn’t go back. Pea doesn’t like how nervous he gets knowing he’s going to see Jughead at certain times through the day but he’s glad there are ways to get away from him. 

 

In English class Jughead has tried to sit next to him to talk but Sweets always find a way to get away or get to class late and get stuck sitting next to whoever has a spot left at their table. 

 

In the halls he makes sure to stay out of sight and away from the red and black office. Jughead almost spots him a couple times but Sweets has dodged him every time. It’s lunch time that he can’t get away from him. He know he will see him no matter what because he can’t stop showing up to eat and relax with friends at school. 

 

There Jughead tries to talk to him but Pea keeps it short and only responds when spoken to. 

 He can see it’s bothering Jughead, but he can’t deal with him. Any note he finds he pulls opened and checks the hand writing, then tosses it. But after a few weeks of the same thing Sweets stops looking around and taking different ways to classes and out of the building. When he’s leaving after school Jughead cornered him.

 

“Just hear me out” Sweets’ jaw tightens. 

 

“Just leave me-“

 

“I’m throwing my dad a party and I know how much you mean to him. Please just consider coming to it” he says quickly and shoves a small envelope into Sweet Pea’s hand before walking away. 

He tucks it away and takes off, needing to get to the quarry. 

 

Later that night he rips it opened and a note falls out of the invitation. He looks at the date of the party, this weekend, before he reaches down for the note. 

He carefully opens it, and reads over the few words on it a few times, sighing and reaching for his phone. He pulls up a new message to Jughead. 

To: Jughead 

‘I miss you’ 

shaking his head he erases what he wrote and tries again. 

‘I’ll be there’

still no, he erases the words. 

after a few tries he gives up and doesn’t write him anything, opting to wait until that night to talk to him. 

 

“Open up loser!” He hears Toni call from outside his front door. He tosses his phone to the side to let her in. 

“What Topaz?” He says letting her in and walking to the kitchen to busy himself with getting some food in his system, she follows him. 

“What’s going on? I haven’t seen you in awhile and at the quarry you were quieter than usual” he shrugs and she mocks him. 

 

“Seriously Pea, is it a girl? Shit hit the fan? Did you bruise your good hand?” He groans, knowing she won’t drop it until she gets some kind of explanation. 

 

“An ex has reappeared in my life, ok? Can we drop it now?” He tells her as he rummages through the fridges and pulls out leftovers. She eyes him suspiciously but doesn’t push the subject. 

“Alright” she says and goes back to the living room to set up for movie night. Breathing a sigh of relief, Sweets runs and hand through his hair and continues on with heating up his leftovers and forcing himself not to think about Jughead. 

 

*****

 

”I’m surprised you came Pea what with all the northsiders here” Toni teases and Sweets rolls his eyes taking a swing of his beer. 

“Figured I’d make an appearance for the king” he tells her and it’s her turn to roll her eyes. They did this whenever one of them was stuck working a shift they weren’t looking forward too, it made the time go faster. 

“thank you all for coming to celebrate my dad, FP. It’s  been a wild ride but he’s made it another year” he hears Jug before he turns to the small stage and sees him with a mic. His dad and him do a small back and forth and it ends with everyone singing him happy birthday. Sweets gets up to go to the bathroom and misses the couple argue and run out. 

”I’m out of here T” he shouts over the music and she says bye before he heads toward the door. He’s digging for his keys when he hears them. 

 

“-ith you, is it so bad?” 

“I made my decision” she huffs and gets in her car, she says something but Sweets couldn’t hear her. He quietly makes his way to his bike so he can get out of there. His heart is beating faster knowing that if he doesn’t leave soon, Jug will spot him and he doesn’t know what wi happen. Right as Sweets gets his leg over the bike he hears him call for him. 

“Sweet pea!” Of course this is his luck. 

”I gotta get going there’s-“ 

Jughead interrupts him, not in the mood to hear excuses. 

 

“I get it Pea, you’re not interested. I was just hoping we could be friends” Sweets scoffs at that. 

 

“What? Is it so bad to want to be friends with you?” 

 

“It’s bad when we can’t go back to how things were before we dated” he tells him and Jug for once doesn’t have a word to say. 

 

“Does she even-“ 

“no” 

“figures, you were always ashamed of me” Jughead flares at him. 

“I’ve never been ashamed of you. How could you say that?” Sweets shakes his head, “forget it” 

 

“no, why the hell do you think I was ashamed of you?”

Sweets steps closer to Jughead who in turn steps back causing a sarcastic laugh to bubble out of Pea. 

“That proof enough for you?” Jug steps up to him. 

“I thought you were gonna swing at Me” Sweets rolls his eyes. 

 

“You never wanted to be seen with me outside of my place. Remember that day I went to surprise you at your new school? You were pissed I showed up. God forbid your new rich friends saw that not only were you poor but that you were gay too”

”fuck you, I wasn’t pissed because of that” Jughead tells him, Sweets Can see he’s shaking and his eyes are rimmed red from crying. Pea hadn’t noticed the teas until now.

”I was already getting picked on I didn’t want them to try to pick on you. I was worried for you, you ass hole” Sweets just stares at him unsure what to say. All this time he thought it was because he was embarrassed of their relationship and their lives.  

“I’m sorry I hurt you Pea, I wish I could take it back. But I’ll leave you alone now, wishful thinking had me trying to befriend you again. I realize how stupid I was for trying to. Ill see you around” he says sadly and walks off, hands in his pockets and head down. 

Sweets watches him walk back into the Wyrm and stares at the door for awhile after he’s out of sight before getting on his bike and going home.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be more, I suck and took forever trying to finish this part that I took a huge chunk out and will use that for the next chapter. I hope you liked this.


	3. Bliss

The ceiling is white. 

Slightly yellow. 

I hear the drip of the faucet in the bathroom.

_** Drip. Drip. Drip.  ** _

_** Drip. Drip.  ** _

_** Drip. Drip. Drip ** _

 

The sheets are soft. 

They’re cool against my skin. 

The mattress is—

 

** Bzz. Bzz .  **

 

Shit. 

 

Pushing himself to roll over, Sweets reaches out a hand to grab his phone. His heart is pounding from the anxiety sitting in his chest, waiting to hit him full on. He nibbles at his lip as he taps his phone screen to allow him to read the message. 

 

He thinks back to the last message he sent out, the one that’s had him up since 5 am staring at the ceiling trying to push down the anxiety like a pill he swallowed without water. 

 

Jughead:

I’ll be over in 10

 

He just stares at the message, the few words he got in response. It takes a few minutes before it fully sinks in. He jerks into an upright position and shoves his blankets off as he scrambles for a pair of shorts and a shirt. 

He’s barely getting his shorts on when a knock startled him and he drops the shirt. 

 

He gulps, but quickly picks up the shirt and tugs it on before running to the door and pulling it open. He breathes out a,

“Hey” Jughead looks sleepy, and his hair is ruffled but still looks so soft and Sweets realizes that Jug isn’t wearing his beanie. He scans him and sees he’s still in pajamas and carrying his pillow. Jugs lip quirks up in a half smile. 

 

“Can I come in?” Sweets nods and steps back, letting Jughead walk into the house. Jug doesn’t waste any time and walks slowly through the living room and back towards the bedroom. Sweets watches him disappear into his room and he can feel the heat in his cheeks as a flash of memories of what they’d do together in that room. 

 

He shakes the memories from his mind quickly and takes a deep breath before following Jug into his room. 

 

He stands in the doorway for a moment, taking in the sight before him. Jughead isn’t sitting there awkwardly waiting to talk, he’s made himself comfortable. He is laying in the bed on the side he used to claim as his rolled up in his blanket like a burrito. His hair sticks out and he’s facing away from Sweets. It’s as if nothing had changed since the last time he was in this room. 

 

Sweets sighs and makes a quick decision. He gets back in bed and looks at the back of Jughead’s head before his hand decides to have a mind of its own and runs itself through Jug’s head. Mortified he goes to pull it away but Jug stops him when he sighs and pushes his head back gently so he keeps doing it. 

 

“Jug..” Sweets whispers, afraid to ruin the quiet moment but he can’t keep worrying about what is gonna happen next and just wants to get down to it. 

 

“Sweet pea” Jug responds simply. 

 

“Can you look at me?” Sweets asks as he pulls his hand away from the boy’s hair. Jughead groans but complies and rolls over. Sweetpea isn’t prepared for the clear blue eyes that stare into his own, his breath catches in his throat. 

 

“Me and Betty are over” he tells him, eyes roaming all over his face preparing for any reaction. Sweets freezes. 

 

He goes through a rush of emotions at the knowledge that Jughead isn’t taken anymore. Delight, sadness for him, giddiness, and he finally lands on skeptical. 

 

“Why are you telling me—“ 

 

“She broke up with me because I told her I’m going to join the serpents” He finishes and Sweetpea’s blood runs cold. 

 

Anger. 

 

He doesn’t even know when he stood up but he did. He lets out a growl, pissed at the thought of him stuck. His Jughead stuck here like him. He can’t, he can do so much more out there that’s why—

 

“No” Jughead sits up, defiance written all over his face. 

 

“It isn’t your choice” 

 

“Like Hell it isn’t. I’m in charge of the younger serpents. You aren’t joining—“

 

“My dad already knows. It’s a done deal Sweets” he slams his hand against the wall. Anger flooding his mind. 

 

Fuck FP accepting that. 

Fuck it all. 

 

“I won’t do it” he shakes his head and starts pacing back and forth. 

 

Jughead sits up straighter, hands fidgeting in his lap as he watches Sweets. 

 

“I need to stay” Sweets Starr’s at him in disbelief. 

 

“That’s bullshit—“

 

“I can’t leave my dad. He’s finally doing better and—“ Sweets grabs his shoes and a sweater. 

 

“What are you doing? Sweets!” He walks out of the room and Jug jumps up and follows him to the living room where he catches him by the sleeve. 

 

“Stop! Where are you going?” Sweets whirls around to face him, face red with anger. 

 

“To talk to your dad. No way FP is letting you join the Serpents” he turns to leave but Jughead tugs him back again. 

 

“Sweets stop. Why are you so against this?” Sweets turns to face him, glaring at him. 

 

“No way in hell im letting you get hurt for any reason. You saw how I got home after my initiation” He steps forward causing Jughead to step back.

 

“You don’t need to be a serpent to be something in your dad’s eyes. He’s proud of you and your writing Jug, don’t do this” he tells him and takes a step towards the boy, he stays and stares up at him. 

 

“I’m not—“

 

“You are and you don’t have to” before either boy can say more Sweet peas phone starts ringing in his room. He excuses himself and runs back to grab it, he may be young but he’s usually first to find anything out having to do with the serpents. 

 

He misses the call but sees the few texts he got before it and he freezes. 

 

Shit. 

 

He responds to the texts and doesn’t return the call. Quickly he makes his way back to the living room and bites his lip not wanting to be the one to break the news. 

 

“Do you have to go?” Sweets shakes his head, he doesn’t, there’s nothing he can do right now. 

 

“No, uh” Jughead frowns at him but slowly sits on the couch. Sweets walks closer. 

 

“What’s wrong Sweets?” Jug asks. 

 

“I have to make a call, a new serpent is on the run for some shit” he nods and sits quietly, eventually plucking up a book from the table. As Sweets talks he sees Jug relax but notices he’s being watched, eyes lingering on his lips. The boy doesn’t seem to notice that Sweets has gotten off the phone because he’s still staring. 

 

“Jug?” 

 

“Huh?” He says, eyes refocusing on sweets’ eyes instead of his mouth, sweets clears his throat to avoid smirking. 

 

“You ok?” He nods, biting his lip. 

 

“Yeah it’s just, you sound older than your age the way you talk about all of this” Sweets looks at him curiously, expression asking what that means. 

 

He watches a blush rise to Jughead’s cheeks. 

 

“I’m only human. It’s attractive ok? I’ll try to keep the attraction to a minimum” he mumbles clearly embarrassed. At that he can’t help but smirk.

 

“So about that text...” Jug starts and Sweets feels his face heat up. 

 

“I meant it. But you aren’t going to distract me from what you said. Please Jug, don’t join the serpents” he shakes his head. 

 

“It isn’t your choice to make Pea” he groans, kneeling on the floor in front of Jughead. He pushes their foreheads together and breathes him in before he says anything. 

 

“I can’t do it Jug” he whispers and Jughead looks at him confused.

 

“The last part of the initiation, I can’t” Jughead’s eyes go wide thinking about the night he had to patch Sweet Pea up after his initiation and how pissed he was that his then boyfriend had gone through it. 

 

“Is that what—“ Sweets nods. Thinking about all the pain, and to just imagine Jughead getting knocked good because of who he is, Sweets doesn’t think he’d be able to handle it. 

 

“Hey” Jughead whispers, hands cupping Sweets face, blue eyes staring into his causing his heart to go crazy. 

 

“If I agree to think about it can we go back to bed and just be together today?” 

 

Sweets nods and carries Jughead back into his room. 

 

************

 

It’s been two weeks of this. 

Jughead is at his home more than he is at his own and they have yet to talk about what is going on between them. Jughead kisses him like he breathes. The first time Sweets was shocked, but the giant smile on Jugs face made the shock melt away. 

 

But Sweets can’t figure out if they are together or not and he’s afraid to say anything becausehe doesn’t want to lose Jughead again. He keeps his distance at school and doesn’t talk much with him unless he has to. It’s when a newer girl at school who sticks to Sweets like glue that Sweets needs to address what is going on between them. 

 

“What the hell was that?!” Sweets asks Jug as he closes the door to him home behind him and a furious Jughead turns to face him, face red with anger. 

 

“She was hanging all over you!” Sweets gives him a bewildered look, what the actual fuck? 

 

“She’s socially awkward! She was sticking close to me because she has a crush on Fangs and I said I’d help her talk to him” Jughead’s face immediately drops, sweet pea keeps talking. 

 

“Why do you care so much if she likes me or not?” He stays quiet. 

 

Sweets takes a few steps closer to him. 

 

“Jug?” He meets his eyes and Sweets notices the slight blush on his cheeks. 

 

“I-I i just thought-“ Sweets’ lip curls up into a half smile. 

 

“Are we-?” They stare at each other for a moment before Jughead speaks. 

 

“Do you want to be?” He quietly asks him and Sweets cups Jughead’s face, heart racing as he leans down and softly kisses his lips. Every point of contact between them he feels a warmth indescribable. Jughead’s lips are slightly chapped but he kisses Sweet pea back eagerly hands gripping at his arms. 

 

Sweets breaks the kiss.

 

He opens him eyes and is met with the sight of Jughead’s closed eyes, reddened lips slightly parted and flustered face. 

 

“I hope that’s a yes” he says breathlessly. Sweets full on grins at him and nods. 

 

“That’s a hell yes” 

 

**********

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it’s short.


End file.
